Conical Heating Element for Electronic Aerosol Provision System

ABSTRACT

An aerosol generating device ( 001 ) comprises a conically shaped heating element ( 300 ) configured to generate aerosol by evaporating a vaporizable material ( 200 ) on a convex slanted surface, and a heat source ( 320 ) configured to be positioned inside the conically shaped heating element, and configured to provide a heat gradient when in use along the convex slanted surface.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to elements for an aerosol generating system and for producing an aerosol or vapor for inhalation by a user. The present disclosure relates more particularly to an aerosol generating system with a conically shaped heating element and a corresponding vaporizable material cartridge for holding a vaporizable material to generate an aerosol or vapor. The present disclosure also relates to a mesh structure located in a gap between the conically shaped heating element and the cavity surface of the cartridge, and designed to receive the vaporizable material.

BACKGROUND

The use of aerosol generating systems, also known as e-cigarettes, e-cigs (EC), electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), electronic smoking devices (ESDs), personal vaporizers (PV), inhalation devices, vapes, which can be used as an alternative to conventional smoking articles such as lit-end cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, is becoming increasingly popular and widespread. The most commonly used e-cigarettes are usually battery powered and use a resistance heating element to heat and atomize a liquid containing nicotine and/or flavorants (also known as e-cigarette liquid, e-cig liquids, e-liquid, juice, vapor juice, smoke juice, e-juice, e-fluid, vape oil) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_of_electronic_cigarettes” \I “cite_note-Lyons2017-102”), to produce an aerosol (also called vapor) which can be inhaled by a user.

In the conventional e-cigarettes described above, the liquid is put into contact with a resistance heating element after flowing through small channels, where it is heated and vaporized. The flowing is realized for example via a wick, a mesh or anothertype of porous element, which has a plurality of small channels that transport the liquid from a reservoir to the heating element. This heating element together with the porous element, a reservoir that contains the e-liquid, and a mouthpiece may be arranged within a disposable capsule, cartridge or pod, that is discarded or refilled once the e-liquid has been consumed by the user, and usually removably connects to a main body that includes a rechargeable battery.

US2018235278A1 discloses an example of an electrically resistive heating element to be inserted into a tobacco stick. The heating element comprises a summit of a cone shaped blade and a base of the blade, configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the summit of the cone shaped blade is heated to a higher temperature than the base of the blade.

US22006430B2 discloses a conical shaped heater made of an electrically resistive track provided on a flexible substrate. The document further discloses that the heater is configured to be insertable into the recess of a capsule, the latter being frusto-conical in shape, and having a substantially circular cross-section.

The present disclosure seeks to provide an alternative system, specifically one that works with a vaporizable material cartridge that holds a vaporizable material substance to generate aerosol.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, the invention provides an aerosol generating device comprising a conically shaped heating element configured to generate an aerosol by evaporating a vaporizable material on a slanted surface of said conically shaped heating element, and a heat source configured to heat the conically shaped heating element in use in such a way that a heat gradient is provided along the slanted surface. The aerosol generating device further comprises a vaporizable material capsule, whereby the vaporizable material capsule comprises a conically shaped alignment element with a slanted surface configured to mate with the conically shaped heating element of the aerosol generating device, wherein the slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a first groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.

In other words, the conically shaped heating element of the aerosol-generating device and conically shaped alignment element of the capsule are complementary to each other to provide automatic alignment and adjustment of the capsule to the heating element in use, thereby preventing misconnections or misalignments, which may cause leakage of vaporizable material from the capsule in use. The proper alignment of the capsule to the heating element through the conical engagement and the mating conical surfaces thereof ensures proper contacting of the capsule to the heating surface and better vaporizable material release and gradual heating thereof along the whole surface of the heating element, for a more efficient heating and aerosol generation.

Advantageously, the conical heating element of the device may be configured as a male element and the conical alignment element of the capsule may be configured as a complementary female receiving element for the heating element, or vice-versa, offering various device/capsule design opportunities without functional alteration to either the device or capsule.

In a further preferred embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a vaporizable material releasing means configured to enable the vaporizable material to flow from the vaporizable material capsule into a space located between a surface of the conically shaped alignment element and the conically shaped heating element at a time of mating.

In a further preferred embodiment, the slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a first groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material in use.

In a further preferred embodiment, the e-liquid capsule further comprises a mesh structure located on the slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element and configured to receive the e-liquid by capillarity and enabling an evaporation of e-liquid when heated.

In a further preferred embodiment, the slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element further comprises at least a second groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material in use.

In a further preferred embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a mesh structure located adjacently to the slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element and configured to receive the vaporizable material by capillarity from the capsule when mated with the alignment element slanted surface.

In a further preferred embodiment, the conical shape of any of the heating element or alignment element is any one of the list comprising a cone, a frusto-cone, a bullet, a frusto-bullet, an ogival shape, a frusto-ogival shape.

In a further preferred embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a body element configured to house a power source for the heat source, and an attaching means configured to attach the conically shaped heating element to the body element.

In a further preferred embodiment, the attaching means is further configured to removably attach the conically shaped heating element to the body element.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a vaporizable material capsule for an aerosol generating device, comprising a reservoir adapted to contain a charge of a vaporizable material, the capsule further comprising a conically shaped alignment element configured to mate with a corresponding conically shaped heating element, and a mesh structure located on a wall of the conically shaped alignment element and configured to receive vaporizable material by capillarity from the reservoir and enabling an evaporation of vaporizable material when heated by said conically heating element and wherein a slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.

In a further preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element is part of the vaporizable material capsule and comprises electrical connectors to connect said conically shaped heating element to a power source of an aerosol generating device.

In a further preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element comprises at least a groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and togetherwith the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain features of the invention.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an example embodiment for an assembly of elements comprised in an aerosol generating device according to the invention: a body element, a vaporizable material capsule and a conically shaped heating element.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of a body element according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of an e-capsule according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an example of a conically shaped heating element according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a gap resulting from a mating of the vaporizable material capsule and the conically shaped heating element according to an example of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 schematically shows a radial cross-sectional top-view of a conically shape heating element, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 schematically shows a radial cross-sectional top-view of an e-capsule mated with a conically shaped heating element according to a further example embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the present detailed description, the term vaporizable material will be used to designate any material that is vaporizable at a temperature up to 400° C., preferably up to 350° C. for example aerosol generating liquid, gel, wax and the like.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an aerosol generating device 001 comprises a body element 100, an vaporizable material capsule 200 and a conically shaped heating element 300. The assembly of all three elements results in a device operated by a user (user not represented in FIG. 1 ) through which an vaporizable material contained in the vaporizable material capsule 200 flows towards the conically shaped heating element 300 to be evaporated and becomes the aerosol (vaporizable material and aerosol not represented in FIG. 1 ). The aerosol generating device 001 further comprises a vapor conduit 220 configured to allow the aerosol circulation from an evaporation point at the heating element 300 to a mouthpiece 230.

The body element 100 may be designed to be held by hand and therewith operated by the user. Referring to FIG. 2 , the body element may house a power source 110 forthe conically shaped heating element (conically shaped heating element not represented in FIG. 2 ) and features a first attaching means 120 configured to attach the conically shape heating element to it.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the vaporizable material capsule 200 of the aerosol generating device may comprise a chamber or reservoir 210 configured to contain or hold at least one vaporizable material (vaporizable material not represented in FIG. 3 ). The vaporizable material capsule further comprises the vapor conduit 220. As such, the vaporizable material capsule 200 is at the same time the receptacle of the vaporizable material, a part of a vaporization chamber of the aerosol, and an extremity of an inhalation device for the user, who may inhale the aerosol through the mouthpiece 230 located at an end of the vapor conduit 220. The vaporizable material capsule 200 of FIG. 3 further features a concave cavity 250 designed to mate with the conically shaped heating element (not represented in FIG. 3 ).

The conically shaped, concave, cavity 250 advantageously forms an alignment element of the capsule that is complementary to the conically shaped heating element of the aerosol-generating device, which provides automatic alignment and adjustment of the capsule to the heating element in use. Such alignment reduces leakage of vaporizable material from the capsule in use. In addition, this ensures proper contacting of the capsule to the heating surface and better vaporizable material release and gradual heating thereof along the whole surface of the heating element, as will be described hereinafter.

While the figures show a male heating element and a complementary, female, cavity 250, it is also foreseeable according to the invention that the conical heating element of the device may be configured as a female, cavity element with a complementary male alignment element of the capsule.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the conically shaped heating element 300 may comprise a convex slanted surface 310. The term “slanted” here denotes an oblique or sloping aspect which is characteristic of the surface on the conical shape. The conically shaped heating element 300 may further house a heat source 320 configured to provide a heat gradient along the convex slanted surface 310, when in use. In a preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element 300 may be configured to be first attached to the body element’s first attaching means (not represented in FIG. 4 ) through a second attaching means 330 and then be mated with the vaporizable material capsule (not represented in FIG. 4 ). In a further preferred embodiment, the conically shaped heating element 300 is configured to be mated first with the vaporizable material capsule, by introduction into the concave cavity (not represented in FIG. 4 ) and then attached to the body element by means of the second attaching means 330. Both preferred embodiments allow to implement a procedure that leads to the same result of the assembly of all three elements to obtain the aerosol generating device. The conically shaped heating element 300 may have a shape taken for example of the list containing a cone, a frusto-cone, a bullet, a frusto-bullet, an ogival shape, a frusto-ogival shape. The conically shaped heating element 300 may be made out of ceramics.

Referring to FIG. 5 , after the process of mating, a gap 410 is obtained between the convex slanted surface 310 of the conically shaped heating element 300 and the concave slanted surface 250 of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule.

In a further preferred embodiment, a mesh structure 400 is located in the gap between the convex slanted surface 310 of the conically shaped heating element and the concave slanted surface 250 of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule. This mesh structure 400 may be fixed either on the convex slanted surface 310 of the conically shaped heating element or on the concave slanted surface 250 of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule. The mesh structure 400 is designed to receive the vaporizable material from the vaporizable material capsule by capillarity and to enable the vaporizable material to evaporate by bringing it towards the conically shaped heating element 300.

The heat source 320 of the conically shaped heating element 300 produces heat through resistive heat dissipation of current from the current supply, by means of an electric resistance inside, and in a known fashion (the electric resistance inside the heat source, and the connections to the current supply are not represented in the Figure). The design following which the electric resistance is positioned inside the conically shaped heating element 300 enables, by design, the provision of a heat gradient along the convex slanted surface, for instance hotter at the base than at the tip of the conically shaped heating element 300. This heat gradient enables to selectively evaporate distinct components of the vaporizable material when received by the mesh structure and brought towards the convex slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element. The heat source of the conically shaped heating element generates an aerosol through evaporation.

The aerosol is generated within the mesh 400 located in the gap 410 between the convex slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element and the concave slanted surface of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule. It ultimately leaves the aerosol generating device through the vapor conduit 220. From the mesh structure to the vapor conduit, the aerosol flow may be led through at least one grove 311 located on the convex slanted surface 310 of the conically shaped heating element 300 (see FIG. 6 ), or through at least one grove 251 located on the concave slanted surface 250 of the cavity of the vaporizable material capsule (see FIG. 7 ), or within the gap created by the mating of the conically shaped heating element with the vaporizable material capsule, or any combination of the three.

FIG. 6 shows schematically a radial cross section of the conically-shaped heating element 300, whereby of course the vapor conduit, as constantly disclosed in the examples herein, is part of the vaporizable material capsule (latter not represented in FIG. 6 ). FIG. 7 shows schematically a radial cross-section of the vaporizable material capsule 200 mated with the heating element 300. Different embodiments in which the vapor conduit is located elsewhere may also be realized. The aerosol circulates from the mesh 400 through the groves 311 and/or 251 to the vapor conduit 220 partly at least by suction pressure created by the user inhaling through the mouthpiece located at the extremity of the vaporizable material capsule (both not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 ).

The groves 311 and/or 251 provide an advantage in that they may shorten the time required for the aerosol to circulate from the mesh where it is produced, to the vapor conduit, because when entering the groves, the aerosol encounters less resistance to its circulation than it does in the mesh. As a consequence, it is also easier for the user to inhale the aerosol from the vapor conduit when it circulates through the groves as compared to the case where the aerosol would have to circulate directly from the mesh into the vapor conduit.

Implementations described herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure but are just provided to illustrate possible realizations.

While the invention has been disclosed with reference to certain preferred embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments, and equivalents thereof, are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the described embodiments and be given the broadest reasonable interpretation in accordance with the language of the appended claims. The features of any one of the above described embodiments may be included in any other embodiment described herein. 

1. An aerosol generating device comprising a conically shaped heating element configured to generate aerosol by evaporating a vaporizable material on a slanted surface of said conically shaped heating element, and a heat source configured to heat the conically shaped heating element in use, in such a way that a heat gradient is provided along the slanted surface, the aerosol generating device further comprising a vaporizable material capsule, whereby the vaporizable material capsule comprises a conically shaped alignment element with a slanted surface configured to mate with the conically shaped heating element of the aerosol generating device, wherein the slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a first groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.
 2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, further comprising a vaporizable material releasing means configured to enable the vaporizable material to flow from the vaporizable material capsule into a space located between a surface of the conically shaped alignment element and the conically shaped heating element at a time of mating.
 3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2 , wherein the vaporizable material capsule further comprises a mesh structure located on the slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element and configured to receive the vaporizable material by capillarity and enabling an evaporation of vaporizable material when heated.
 4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element further comprises at least a second groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.
 5. The aerosol generating device of any one of claims 1 to 2 and 4, further comprising a mesh structure located adjacently to the slanted surface of the conically shaped heating element and configured to receive the vaporizable material by capillarity.
 6. The aerosol generating device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the conical shape of any of the heating element and alignment element is any one of the list comprising a cone, a frusto-cone, a bullet, a frusto-bullet, an ogival shape, a frusto-ogival shape.
 7. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a body element configured to house a power source for the heat source, and an attaching means configured to attach the conically shaped heating element to the body element.
 8. The aerosol generating device of claim 5, wherein the attaching means is further configured to removably attach the conically shaped heating element to the body element.
 9. A vaporizable material capsule for an aerosol generating device, comprising a reservoir containing a charge of vaporizable material, the capsule further comprising a conically shaped alignment element configured to mate with a corresponding conically shaped heating element, and a mesh structure located on a wall of the conically shaped alignment element and configured to receive vaporizable material from the reservoir by capillarity and enabling an evaporation of vaporizable material when heated by said conically shaped heating element and wherein, a slanted surface of the conically shaped alignment element comprises at least a groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material.
 10. The vaporizable material capsule according to of claim 9 wherein the conically shaped heating element is part of the vaporizable material capsule and comprises electrical connectors to connect said conically shaped heating element to a power source of an aerosol generating device.
 11. The vaporizable material capsule according any one of claims 9 and 10, wherein the conically shaped heating element comprises at least a groove enabling a flow of evaporated vaporizable material. 